Townsend poised for Borders switch

The new Borders professional team have called a press conference at Gala RFC for 8pm tonight where they are expected to unveil Gregor Townsend as their latest signing.

The Scotland international is set to join the professional side from French club Castres who he helped to the Heineken Cup semi-finals this year.

Edinburgh-born Lion Townsend, who turned 29 just over a fortnight ago, holds the Scottish record of 66 caps.

Townsend made his debut for Scotland in the Calcutta Cup at Twickenham in 1993 when he replaced Craig Chalmers.

But, two years later, a knee injury saw him miss the World Cup campaign in South Africa.

However, his first taste of the captaincy came the following year in a tour match against Wanganui before skippering the side against the Wallabies.

Townsend became a crucial player in the successful Lions tour against then world champions South Africa in 1997 starring in two Tests against the Springboks.

The stand-off joined French club Brive from Northampton to begin his sojourn in France in 1998 before moving to Castres two years later.

Townsend became only the second Scotland international to score in every Five Nations game in 1999 as the team won the competition.

Townsend was also awarded the MBE for services to rugby in the same year as he helps Scotland reach the World Cup quarter-finals.

One year later, Townsend comfortably broke the individual Scottish record for points with a haul of 33 in a Test match against the United States.